Bolivians 200 Year Wait For Stable Government Continues
Posted 16th October 2000
by Van Cooke

PlaNet Reporter In Bolivia Bolivia now waits for the Government, lead by former dictator General Hugo Banzer, to act on its settlements which brought an end to the majority of the blockades on the country's highways over the weekend. This good news might only be a brief respite for the beleaguered country as the Government has been given 90 days by the majority of the blockaders to prove good on their word or they will return to the highways of Bolivia. Many people are of the opinion that only a major overhaul of the Bolivian economy will see an end to the measures that were taken by the population of Bolivia.

The city of La Paz, the seat of government, has been once again receiving food by land. The first 5 days after the agreements were settled still saw the city of La Paz eating the scraps that had been flown in and now there is apprehension as the markets may only receive old produce that has been kept in the stalled trucks during the blockages. But for the moment things look bright for the cities citizens who were stocking tinned goods for the duration of the blockages.

Only specific areas in the department of Cochabamba are still blocked by irate peasants. The point of contention still exists in the age old program of "Coca Cero" run by the Government under the ever watchful eyes of the United States D.E.A. and other organizations concerned with the drug problem in that country. With the weight of the economic help given by the United States to Bolivia it is hard to say where this problem will end. The alternative crop programs such as bananas etc. offered by the Government to substitute the coca crops leave much to be desired. A usual scenario is that farmers strip their land of the coca plant for the monetary incentives given by the Government then merely relocate further into the jungle and start again.

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